The two knights bow deeply to the king and queen respectively. Move to the right, just as they leave accompanied by several guards to the foyer. Orpheus and Susanna follow behind and down the corridor. Passing several guards travelling in the opposite direction, they all reach the open doorway and enter the foyer.

Lambert bids farewell to Tiephinne and makes his way to the exit, vacating the royal palace. Tiephinne moves to meet several guards and begins chatting with them. 

Sussane shifts her gaze to her companion. "Why did you suggest I attend the royal gala?" She asks, tilting her head.

"This little party the king is throwing, maybe a transparent olive branch. It is still a perfect opportunity to meet the lords that hold any sway in the kingdom." Orpheus turns his gaze to meet hers and explains his reasoning. "Excuse me for a moment." Without any further explanation, he excuses himself. 

Moving forward a few steps, towards Tiephinne immersed in her incoherent conversation with the guards. His eyes cast down to her left hand, grasping the parchment. Moving slowly forward, he places his hand in his belt bag and begins rustling through it. Gaining on her, he bows his head down slightly, keeping his gaze up. Positioning himself a few feet behind her.

Taking a deep breath, he purposely turns his head to the left and pushes forward colliding with her shoulder, feigning a false drop. The parchment springs out of her hand and falls a few feet to her left. "Oh, I'm sorry." He apologised, concealing a slight grin and leaning forward.

Arching his back, he reaches for the parchment with his left hand, grasping it tightly. Tiephinne reasserts herself, surprised for a moment, coming to their senses. She turns to the kneeling Orpheus and flashes a sharp expression of anger. Reaching forward and just before her grasp can reach him. Orpheus mutters something under his breath grasping the parchment in his left and rustling his belt bag with his right. 

"Duplicare Chartam." He whispers a spell, the parchment glows faintly. Reaching over he places the no longer glowing parchment in her outstretched hand. "Here you go, sorry again." Meeting her face-to-face, she snatches it out of his hands.

Turning to her guards both fearful because of her deadly scowl. Grunting she slides to the left and makes her way to the door, exiting the estate. Orpheus glances towards the guards to speak. "She doesn't like me much?" He remarks, dipping his head to the left, shaking it from left to right.

The guards respond with a clear nod in unison. They all shrug leaving to follow behind their commander.

"Well, I see your making friends." Susanna chimes with a mischievous smile.

Orpheus turns around, leaning back against the wall beside her.  "It seems so." He replies simply. Withdrawing a rolled-up parchment and passing it across to her.

Gazing at the paper with a puzzled look, a wave of realisation washes across her face. "You made a copy, what kind of spell was that?" Pulling the parchment out of his hand, unrolling it and exposing its contents and her eyes widening.  "It's just a list of names, Lord Winthrope, Carmichael, Eddington and many others." Reading from the list of names with a quiet voice, slightly above that of a whisper. 

"The names of suspected traitors to the throne I expect. I want you to study those names, whilst I attend to other business. I will return shortly and we can go from there." He speaks with a similar tone, his eyes lock on hers.

Turning to leave, moving a few paces, exiting the opened door. Descending the steps to the pathway, now littered with many guards, posted in intervals. Moving with a slow pace towards the gate, he is greeted by a small carriage, containing his deceased friend. Casting his gaze towards the front to see a young man holding the reigns of the horses. The young man is wearing a brown tunic, and has brown hair, with the looks of a young adult. 

"Hello ah... Sir Orpheus." The driver speaks with a slight cough, scrambling to form words. 

Orpheus looks into the young man's nervous gaze. Replying with a soft smile, he climbs aboard the carriage. Seating himself next to him. He turns his gaze to the right and gestures to begin their journey.

The driver blinks several times before speaking. "Where to, sir?" He asks with a slight pause in the middle, his nerves slowly starting to settle.

Orpheus pauses for a moment, turning his gaze to the sunrise, slowly peeking out ahead. The sun's rays slowly pour over the buildings, revealing the new day ahead.  "North, out of the city. I'll guide you the rest of the way." He replies with a stern tone of voice, after a short pause.

The driver whips the reins and the horse springs into action. The carriage jerks from the sudden inertia, propelling forward and down the street. The wind blows past his face, jostling his hair. A look of determination appears on his face. His gaze turns behind, peering into the small window of the carriage.

Observing the rag-covered corpse within, his eyes widen. His face softened and a slight frown emerged. His thoughts churn over his own unwanted handy work, concealed in the back. "Don't worry, I'll take you to her." The thought traverses the very fabric of his mind. His gaze turns to the sunrise, once more ready for what comes next. 

Sunshine cascades from behind a row of trees, its light now casting a shadow upon the dirt ground. The wind rustled the trees surrounding a dirt road, passing through a grass field littered with trees. A moment passes, and the ground starts to shake. To the south, a carriage is seen galloping down the dirt road. The horses neigh loudly, the driver pulls the reins back. Ceasing their movements halting the once speeding carriage. 

"Here we are." Orpheus mentions in a rhetorical fashion, causing the driver to turn his gaze in response. 

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"Where are we sir, we have been riding for a few hours now. I'm unfamiliar with this area." The driver responds with his own question. His gaze darting from the left to right, surveying his surroundings. 

"Never you mind. Stay with the carriage." Orpheus remarks, turning to the right and peering at him for a moment. Dismounting from the carriage and moving towards the back. The driver flashes a confused expression. His eyes squint slightly for a moment, before resigning himself to ignorance. 

Orpheus moves to the back, grabbing hold of the door handles. His breathing quickens, and he desperately tries to calm his calamitous heart. Leaning his forehead on the door, he pauses for a moment. The mere opening of the carriage door was too much to bear. He was centring his heart and slowing his breathing. He pulls the door open with a sudden motion; his gaze turns to the wrapped corpse that lay in the centre.

He carefully pulls the cloth from his head, revealing his face. His right-hand positions itself caringly upon the forehead, lightly caressing his hair. His eyes pulled away from the sight as if ashamed. His breathing slowly became heavier and rigid.

With a soft gasp, he speaks.  "I promised you something. All those years ago in one of the few bright parts of our past. I promised to take you home, so let me take you home." He continued to caress his hair, pulling the cloth over his face. Pausing for a moment, exhaling his breath. Leaning into the carriage, slipping his arm under the body's shoulders.

Slowly dragging the corpse out of the carriage, his back labouring over the side of the carriage. Carefully lifting the body with two hands, cradling within his arms. Turning to the left, behind the open carriage door, moving slowly. Cradling his fallen friend and grunting for a moment. The weight starts to strain him, but only a little. Adjusting his shoulders, he continues on. 

Walking down the left of the dirt road, down a small pathway through the tree line. The driver notices his action, curious about his intentions. Moving at a slow pace down the path, a grassy field can be seen through the trees, a short distance away. Moving down the pathway he disappears from the driver's sight.

Thoughts permeate his mind; with every step, he takes towards his destination. His gaze peers down to the body and then back up. "I know this is not what I promised, nor is it ideal. But I hope, I hope that you understand.” Dipping his head, he sighed loudly. “Why... Why am I talking to a corpse!" He spoke out loud as if speaking directly to the deceased. Treading forward until he exits the clearing. Greeted by a tiny scorched bit of farmland. A small house is seen, merely ash collapsed and burnt.

To his right, what appears to be a small patch of ground. Once possessing crops for harvesting. To his left, a small wooden fence surrounded a patch of grass. Livestock should have been grazing there, happily. A hill appears further to the left, just to the side of the small and desolate farm.

Marching through the farm towards the destroyed house, thinking about the sight before him. "So, this is where you grew up. Pity I would have liked to have seen it. Life before cruelty, joy before misery. I bet you were happy then." Musing on the depressing sight, reaching the house and standing just in front of it.

His gaze travels to the left and then the right. Taking a deep breath, dipping his head solemnly. His gaze rises revealing stone-cold sadness. Making his way to the tree line, he gently places the body on the ground. Noticing a small rock indented in the ground, a word carved into the centre. 

Walking towards it and kneeling down to read it. "Elisabeth, your mother. I wish I could have known you... You raised a peculiar boy." Speaking to the grave, his gaze then turns to the patch of grass just beside the grave. Staring at the ground, he lifts his right hand, aiming it directly. His palm open and fingers stretched, he chants a spell. "Elementum Terra." The ground starts to rumble, his fingers constrict and arch forward. His eyes squint ever slightly, as he concentrates on the spell.

The earth starts to move and the dirt seeps out. Clenching his fist, he rips his hand upward the dirt pulling from the ground.

Flicking his fist to the right, he chucks the large clump of dirt to the right. Next to it a fully dug grave oval in shape and roughly six feet deep. Turning to his friend's body, picking it up once more. Jumping down into the grave, he carefully places it within. Looking down at his fallen friend, his gaze turns soft.

A few seconds go by he finally snaps to his senses and exits the grave. Standing over it, he waves his hand from right to left. The dirt falls back into the grave filling it. "Family, in these trying times it seems like the only reunions we have... Is one of death." Making that declaration, he dips his gaze to the ground in sorrow. A few moments go by, lifting his gaze and turning it to Elisabeth’s grave. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry that I wasn't there for him as much as I should have been. I was a coward and I was afraid. I left him... I left them all behind." Speaking with a soft and sorrowful tone. His gaze turns to the ground, ashamed at his words. His voice cracked whilst attempting to speak with an expression of sadness and pain.  

"Your son was a strange person. When everything was just cruelty and pain. He always had this kind of look in his eyes. Like somehow, some way it would all get better. I hated that look and I hated him. But no matter how much the cruelty changed me piece by piece. I knew that I couldn't hate him for long." His words slowly turned to frustration and anger. "I know this does nothing to make up for what I have done. But I want to thank you, for birthing such a fine son. A son that gave freely, a few good memories amongst all the terrible ones." His gaze turns to the grave, speaking directly with a slight smile. His sorrow lifted for a moment, gratitude replacing the pain.

Lingering for a moment, kneeling down on his left leg. Bowing his head deeply, respectfully, towards the mother's grave. Soon enough he elevates, shifting his gaze to Kyran's grave. "Out of all the life that I have taken. I never once felt any pain, any fear, any shred of guilt or regret. Until now... You are the one life out of all the others, I regret ending." His voice cracked, his expression slowly dipping back into pain and sorrow. The tree line appears in his vision, his eyes watering only slightly.  "I don't know what happened to make you this way. Or maybe I do know and don't want to admit that may be my fault. But I swear to you. If you relinquished that kindness, that goodness that once resided in your heart, I'll accept it. If it was taken from you, by cruel hands and malice intent. I swear they will die more painful than any pain I have ever inflicted in my life!" His gazes linger for a moment at the tree line, his fists clench, and his tone rises.

Anger starts to stagnate, attempting to calm down. Raises his fists chest level, the two hands apart with a space between them, opening his palms. "Veni Forth Elementum Terra." He chants, energy manifesting within his grasp. Pulling his hands further from the centre, a piece of stone forms. Expanding from a small pebble into a larger stone.

The stone roughly the size of a human head drops into his hands. Grasping it for a moment, moving towards Kyran's grave. Placing the stone at the head of the grave and aiming his right palm at the stone. "Sculpo." Chanting, a name is carved into the stone one letter at a time. His gaze focuses, and the scratching sounds resonate from the stone. A few seconds go by, and realising his palm and move back a few steps.

His gaze turns to the stone, reading the name Kyran engraved upon it. The words cement his death permanently upon the earth. He pauses for a moment, leaving a single sentence hanging in the air. "Goodbye... Old friend."